When at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch, either for a summer dude ranch vacation or Fall/Winter/Spring B&B stay,

2. And Mocha?

you will spend lots of time with our horses (and donkeys!).

Horses communicate with body language. (Is this why women so often understand their horses immediately, and why guys are so often clueless?) Their faces, and especially their ears speak volumes, once you learn how to read them.

3. And Rose Blossom?

Here’s a quick primer on some easy to recognize “expressions.” Have fun!

Answers to each of these facial expressions are listed at he bottom of the page!

4. What is Apache saying here?

5. What is Khalli doing?

6. And Rusty?

7. What is Calamity Jane saying here?

1. Stevie is ANGRY!!! She is having a bad hair week. Spring snow has melted and she want’s to party, and the geldings around her are all nerds or something!! Dude ranch horses are supposed to be romantic!!! None of these guys want to dance!!! Best to just leave her alone for a few more days…

She is clearly saying: “keep your distance or I will bite you!!!”

2. Mocha is taking a nap, or maybe she is meditating. Nope, she’s sleeping, in fact, she is snoring! One of her back hooves is up on the toe, her ears are flopped off to the sides, and her eyes are soft, gently starting off into the distance.

3. Rose Blossom is definitely sleeping! She’s still a baby, so she sleeps a lot. She even has her eyes closed, which only babies do – adults sleep with their eyes open.

4. Apache is awake, alert, and wants the cookie in my pocket. He is demonstrating interest and is interacting.

5. Khalli also wants the cookie in my pocket, but at the same time she is listening to some interesting gossip BEHIND her! Yes, kinda like radar dishes, horses’ ears can pivot front to side to back; even in different directions. Yes, if she wanted, Khalli could listen to two different conversations at once!

6. Rusty is actually sleeping. one of his hind feet is up on the toe, his ears are flopped off to the side, and his eyes are softly staring off into space…

7. Calamity is not happy that she is the last picture. She is small, but she is VERY bossy!